extrasolar planets?

Question

Of the 215(est. to date) extrasolar planets discovered, how many of these have orbital eccentricities similiar to our own solar system's planets and reside in the habitable zones of their parent stars?

Answer 1

I think all of them.

All they can really see is the periodic flux in the parent star's output, and that means the planet is orbital, and periodical, - just like all of our planets.

Most of these planets are gas giants,- like Jupiter, - but I think they've claimed to find a few rocky planets, - like earth and the inferior planets.

Answer 2

Most of them, probably. The sizes of all the extrasolar planets were all bigger than or close to Jupiter's size, our solar system's biggest planet. That's because the only reason the found the planets was because of its effect of its sun, and you need something big enough to have an effect big enough on something even bigger for us to see it. Their orbits are probably similar, but it is very unlikely that it is habitable (for humans or any type of life). The only big planets we have examined were all made of gas, and the extrasolar ones are probably made of gas as well. They might have moons, though, and some life might be living there.

Answer 3

Don't know, but probably a handful and it depends on how you define the "habitable" zone; if a Jupiter mass planet is 1 au from a G type star, is it habitable? I'll bet her moons are.

Don't be dismayed; remember-we have just started to look and our technology can only detect big mass planets in close orbits.

When the KEPLER mission launches next year, stay alert because we will detect HUNDREDS of terrestrial planets and probably many will be in the appropriate orbit to sustain life.

Answer 4

approx. none.
because of the technology used today,an orbiting extrasolar planet is only detected by the flickering light of its star when the planet passes in front of it.Until now the size of the tyniest extrasolar planet is 4 times the size of earth(much greater gravity) and orbits closer to the star.(hundreds of degrees at its surface).